For Lack of a Better Title
by Windsoar Airlift
Summary: In which Seraphina has a decision to make. A decision that may be the difference between life...and death. Well. Maybe not. She could be overdramatizing. But it felt that way in the moment.


**AN: **So this is around chapter ninteen, where Lucain and Seraphina are on their way back home from interviewing the knights in the forest. It's right before they meet Imlann for the first time. Though I realize this little scene would have detrimental effects on our beloved story, I admit I this is what I secretly wish happened.

Oh, and can I just say that what I love most about these two characters is the obvious tension between them? I just adore how Rachel gives them such a heartbreakingly impossible love, with circumstances they can't hope to overcome. It makes every word, every gesture between them more sweet and hopelessly romantic.

Also, of course I don't own any characters in this story, yada yada yada.

Okay.

"I won't fall prey to the same destructive impulsiveness, of course. I'm on my guard against it." Kiggs told me as we rode our stallions through the dark, icy forest.

"And you're engaged, anyway," I added, trying to sound flippant because I feared he might hear my heart beating, it was pounding so violently. It was then that my stomach dropped to my toes. This fact loomed over us, high over our heads where we could do nothing but acknowledge it. It was hopeless to even hope, I knew.

Finally Kiggs replied, "Yes, that's a nice assurance against the unexpected." His voice rough with emotion, at odds with his words. "That and faith. St. Claire keeps me to my rightful course."

Of course she did. _Thanks for nothing, St. Claire._

We rode on in silence. The snow was falling harder now. So hard, in fact, that my horse was having considerable trouble finding purchase on the uneven ground. The snowflakes found their way into every crevice of my person. My horse's head and back, too, were coated with ice. I blinked the flakes out of my eyelashes.

"Kiggs," I started, tentatively.

"I know. We can't make it back in this weather. You were right for wanting to leave early." He looked at me then, sheepishly. "I know a place where we can stay for the night."

Wedged between to hulking trees, the 'place' was was more like an oversized dog house, really. But it served our purpose, and even had a miniature fireplace with wood stocked up already.

"How-?" I started to ask, approaching the makeshift doorway.

"I...like to have a place to myself sometimes. No one bothers me here."

"It's...nice." I said, avoiding the spiderwebs dominating most of the ceiling. Kiggs started the fire as I, ever awkwardly, hovered behind him, watching.

_ Nice is a stretch_, I thought, as I surveyed the room. Small as it was, it seemed to be completely empty, save a few chairs, spare wood, and some moldy blankets folded in the corner. Lucian stepped away from the fireplace, where a warm blaze was now cheerily crackling. We both shed our wet outer layers and drew near to warm our frozen appendages.

"There's no bed," Kiggs said, pointing out the obvious, "But It's better than the raging storm outside."

"It's lovely." I assured him. "I've slept on the ground before."

We then fell into an uncomfortable silence, punctuated by Lucian's poking the dwindling fire with a long stick. Abruptly, he lay down on the wood floor with his hands behind his head.

"Goodnight." He said, matter-of-factly, his eyes already closed.

I sat and stared at the embers for an unfathomable amount of time, and soon Kiggs was lightly snoring behind me. It was getting quite late, though, and I should try to sleep before the fireplace was no longer warm. I picked the two least moldy blankets from the pile and spread one out on top of Lucian before lying down at a safe, respectable distance.

The ground was shockingly cold against my back, stinging through the suddenly thin layer of my clothes. I pulled the threadbare blanket over my shoulders, only to find a large hole in the middle. I considered putting my soggy coat back on, but I knew it would do me more harm than good. I lay there, shivering, undecided.

I looked over at Kiggs, who was snoring loudly, and a thought struck me. I blushed crimson at the mere notion, and I silently thanked Allsaints he was in no place to notice. It was basic survival instincts, I told myself. People do worse things in the name of survival every day.

I steeled myself, sucking in an icy breath before crawling to his side. I sat there, stalling, considering his sleeping face. Without his consciousness running across his features, he looked more peaceful than I'd ever seen him. He shifted in his sleep, spreading his arm wide as if he knew my intention. I sighed quietly and tentatively, hesitantly, lay my head on his arm. I slowly unfolded myself at his side, and threw my blanket over both of us for added warmth.

He took me by complete surprise by rolling onto his side and wrapping his other arm around me. I gasped, momentarily terrified he had woken up, but he snored lightly in my ear. His breath was hot on my neck, sending an electric charge down and then up my spine. His entire body curled in to mimic mine, and we lay there together on the floor of his dog house. I shivered, not from the snow outside but from something entirely other that I was loathe to pinpoint, even in my own head.


End file.
